Unraveling Yoga Madness
Dan and Melissa discuss concerns and questions that surfaced in response to last week's episode on Yoga madness where we explored several approaches and beliefs about Yoga along with recommended resources.
Topics/Questions Covered in the Show:
Clarification of listener concerns with Demon Possessed through Yoga? episode.
Is yoga a “gateway spirituality”?
Are there good, healthy Catholic alternatives... Read More

Demon Possessed through Yoga?
A caller asked about the practice of yoga and its link to potential demonic activity. Dan and Melissa discuss a Catholic perspective on yoga, including the opinions of an exorcist and theologians. They also provide suggestions on alternatives to yoga for faithful Catholics.
Show notes:
Fr. Fortea, an exorcist and expert on possession, says that if you do not have the intent for a malevolent... Read More

Yoga Series
A listing of posts on our site specifically on yoga and its history and dangers. Additional posts will be added as they are published. Please check back on this site from time to time.
Yoga Series by Fr. Ezra Sullivan:
What is Yoga? A Catholic Perspective (Part I)
What is Yoga? A Catholic Perspective (Part II): gods of Yoga
Yoga gods divine Manifestations? Catholic Perspective (Part III)
The Yoga Trajectory:... Read More

Yoga and Religion (Part V)
So far in this series, we have discussed the nature of Yoga in general (first post), and we have learned that it is rooted in Hindu beliefs about gods and goddesses who want to influence us (second post). Through further research, we saw that a philosophic Yoga suggests that the goal of the practice is union in a “higher reality” where distinctions among all things disappear, and even the individual... Read More

The Yoga Trajectory: From the Body to the Infinite (Part IV)
In the first post we discussed “What is Yoga?” In part two we learned about the polytheistic, Hindu roots of Yoga. And, in the third installment we saw that philosophic Yoga teaches that the goal of Yoga is union with a Supreme Reality, that is, it leads the practitioner to become dissolved into a “higher reality.” Once a person perfects her Yoga practice,... Read More

In the first post we discussed “What is Yoga?” In the second post, we learned about the Hindu roots of Yoga. We found that there are certain Hindu gods that have been understood to play a role in teaching and promoting Yoga. We looked at Shiva, Vishnu, and Shakti, and said hello to Ganesh. The post concluded by noting four different positions on how to understand the gods of Yoga:
The gods don’t exist; they are mere fables.
The... Read More

In the first post on Yoga, we explored studies that showed a couple of important facts:
· Consistent practice of Yoga is correlated with a diminishment of Christian belief.
· Practitioners typically begin Yoga for physical reasons but stick with it for spiritual reasons.
We concluded with a basic definition of Yoga: Yoga is both a comprehensive system of human culture–physical, moral, and psychological–and it acts as a doorway... Read More

Editor's Note: Today, Fr. Ezra Sullivan, O.P. joins our team of writers. Father Ezra is a Dominican Friar of the Province of St. Joseph and we are blessed to have his contributions on our site. Please welcome him warmly.
Yoga is hands-down — toes-up — one of the most popular forms of exercise in the world, including the United States. It is also controversial, eliciting strong reactions from enthusiasts and denouncers... Read More

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